As I stepped off the plane in Niamey, the dusty air caught the back of my throat and I began to cough. The hot sand blowing from the Sahara is one of the most certain features of the place, leaving the capital of Niger in a constant yellow hue. Another sad feature has been Niger’s lack of economic prospect - landlocked and with no substantial natural resources it remains one of the poorest countries in the world.

“On average, an emergency air ambulance takes off every 10 minutes in the UK, flying 365 days a year in daylight hours. Put another way, during every hour of every day 7 Air Ambulances are attending accidents and medical trauma.”
(Association of Air Ambulances, 2011) (1)

When one begins medical school the prospect of an elective period, travelling and engaging in different cultures and medical practice is incredibly fascinating. I had always imagined going somewhere in the deepest darkest rainforest, living in a self-built residence constructed out of papaya leaves, mud and soil and basically ‘living it rough’ whilst engaging in some sort of primitive medicine without the comforts of the NHS.